Panty hose stocking

ABSTRACT

A panty hose stocking unit having severable leg portions is described. Severable circumferential welts or bands located in the mid-thigh region of each tubular leg portion are provided. When a leg portion becomes damaged it is removed from the unit at the welt or band so that two such units having opposite leg portions removed may be worn simultaneously. In one embodiment of this invention each welt includes at least one upper course or picot or lace stitching or an upper circumferential seam or line sewn in the stocking. In order to remove a damaged leg portion then the fabric is cut below the course of stitches or seam to prevent ravelling. In another embodiment upper and lower abutting, but not interwoven, courses of loop stitches or picot stitches are provided with at least one waste thread interwoven therethrough to interconnect said courses. A pull-tab on the thread may be provided to facilitate removal of the thread to separate the leg portion from the stocking unit.

United States Patent 11 1 Harris [54] PANTY HOSE STOCKING [76] Inventor: Della Harris, 89 Kingswood St.,

Morgantown, W. Va. 26503 22 Filed: Mar. 8, 1973 21 Appl. No.: 339,139

52 us. (:1. 2/224 R, 2/240 511 1m. (:1 A411) 9/04 [58] Field of Search 2/224 R, 227, 240, 224 A,

fillndry E2tarniner-H. Hampton Hunter Nov. 5, 1974 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-LeBlanc & Shur [5 7 1 ABSTRACT A panty hose stocking unit having severable leg portions is described. Severable circumferential welts or bands located in the mid-thigh region of each tubular leg portion are provided. When a leg portion becomes damaged it is removed from the unit at the welt or band so that two such units having opposite leg portions removed may be worn simultaneously. In one embodiment of this invention each welt includes at least one upper course or picot or lace stitching or an upper circumferential seam or line sewn in the stocking. In order to remove a damaged leg portion then the fabric is cut below the course of stitches or seam to prevent ravelling. In another embodiment upper and lower abutting, but not interwoven, courses of loop stitches or picot stitches are provided with at least one waste thread interwoven therethrough to interconnect said courses. A pull-tab on the thread may be provided to facilitate removal of the thread to separate the leg portion from the stocking unit.

5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PANTY HOSE STOCKING This invention relates to panty hose stocking units,

and specifically to a stocking provided with means located in the mid-thigh region thereof to facilitate separation of a leg portion, if desired. When a single leg portion is damaged it may be quickly and easily removed and discarded. The remaining portions of the unit then may still be used by wearing two of such units, havin'g' opposite legs removed, simultaneously. Full utilization of both leg portions of the garment is then accomplished even though one leg portion is initially damaged.

A wide variety of panty hose constructions are well known in the art and have been marketed for many years. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,697,925, 2,790,315, and 2,826,760 describe exemplary types of panty hose and methods for manufacturing them. The methods of manufacture being well know to those skilled in the art, will therefore not be described in detail herein.

Panty hose stockings typically include tubular leg portions, which may have reinforced toe and heel regions, and an upper thigh region which terminates in an integral enlarged trunk portion. Well known types of panty hose may be reversible front-to-rear or may be worn inside out. In addition, such units may be elastically reinforced for additional support in only the abdominal or trunk region, or they may be so reinforced throughout. In the alternative, panty hose stretch stockings knitted with elastic yarn throughoutare also well known.

However, even though panty hose stockings are not inexpensive, when a single leg portion is damaged, the entire unit is normally discarded because replacement leg portions are not readily available. The wearer then buys an entire new unit as a replacement even though the trunk and a leg portion are undamaged. The purchase of an entire new unit is dictated by the fact that the means to remove the damaged portion may not be at hand, and even if this could be conveniently accomplished, replacements which utilize the undamaged portion are not generally commerically avaialble.

Stocking units having only a single leg portion and an integral trunk portion are also known. Such units, of course, are worn in pairs. If a leg portion is damaged the entire unit is replaced, and the undamaged trunk portion is discarded with the damaged leg. Therefore, the economic benefit from utilizing stocking units having only a single leg is realized. U.S. Pat. No. 3,547,128 describes one version of this type of stocking wherein a pair of units, each including a leg portion and an integral trunk portion, are worn with a double thickness covering the trunk and abdominal area. These stockings. however, have the disadvantage of tending to stretch and bind in the crotch area because the trunk portion is severely cut away in the open leg area.

Another type of stocking is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,440,665 wherein the leg portions extend upwardly to a waistband, and a trunk portion as such is eliminated. While these stockings do not bind when worn as previously noted, they also functionally are not panty hose. They are merely hose supported directly from the waist rather than a garter belt or other similar garment. This type of stocking unit is not capable of furnishing abdominal support, or of covering the trunk area.

lt has been discovered, however, that according to this invention economical and improved panty hose may be constructed wherein either leg may be quickly and easily removed if damaged, and two of such units may then be worn simultaneously, without discomfort, for maximum utilization of the undamaged portions. if desired a separate, reversible, replacement unit having a single leg may also be marketed with the stocking unit of this invention.

The panty hose stocking unit of this invention may be knitted according to any well known method with the modifications of this invention as will be hereinafter described. The stocking may be textured with lace or picot stitches or knitted with plain stitches throughout, as desired. The integral trunk portion may be merely an elongated welt of plain stitches, or loop or picot stitches. it may also be elastically reinforced for added support. in the alternative, the entire garment may be knitted with stretch yarn according to well known methods.

However, it is essential to constructing the panty hose of this invention that a circumferential band or welt is formed in the mid-thigh region of each legportion. This circumferential band includes means whereby the leg portion therebelow may be separated from the panty hose unit, when damaged, without ravelling the upper portion. The improvement of this invention then may be adapted to any conventional panty hose stocking unit to provide for the removal of a damaged leg without the extensive ravelling of the upper or trunk portion which would normally result in the event the material was merely cut at a desired place to remove the leg.

The positioning of the circumferential band has also been found to be important from a comfort standpoint. If a damaged leg is severed from the stocking unit at or near the trunk portion, the severed portion will tend to ride up with wear, and bind at the wearers crotch. Conversely, if the leg is severed below the mid-thigh region, the severed portion may be, exposed below the wearers hemline.

According to this invention the welt or band includes at least one circumferential stitch which prevents ravelling when a damaged leg is separated from the stocking unit. The remaining portion of the band therebelow 'may be salvaged. in one embodiment the stitch may be one or more seams sewn with stitches sufficiently small to catch the knitted loops of fabric. In this way, if the fabric is merely cut with shears the cut portion will not run or ravel.

As a preferred alternative, however, one or more courses of interlocking lace or picot stitches may be provided in-the band. These stitches may appear to be decorative but also are interlocked so that whenthe material therebelow is cut, ravelling will not occur. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that a lace or picot stitch is only one example of a locking stitch which could be utilized within the scope of this invention to provide a non-ravelling circumferential portion at the mid-thigh region of the stocking legs.

In both the aforementioned embodiments a separate cutting means must be provided to remove a damaged leg, However, in a preferred embodiment of this invention to be hereinafter described, shears or other separate cutting means are not needed to remove the .damaged leg.

In the preferred embodiment at least one pair of abutting, but not interwoven courses of loops or picot stitches or other lock-stitches are provided in the circumferential band. The loops are inter-connected with at least one waste thread so that when the thread is removed the leg portion therebelow would be immediately separated from the trunk portion of the stocking. Although the waste thread extends circumferentially around the leg portion through the abutting loops it is not difficult to remove, and to facilitate removal a pulltab is provided thereon. The tab may be metal or plastic or thread and is preferably located in the inner thigh region of the stocking unit. The tab should be relatively small, and therefore will not be noticed by the wearer.

As noted, one or more waste threads may be provided, if desired, to increase the longitudinal strength of the garment. in addition, it is preferred to provide a plurality of interwoven courses of lace or picot stitches above and below the abutting selvage loops which are joined by the interwoven waste thread. As will be obvious to those skilled in the art whether one or more threads are utilized will depend primarily on the type of yarn. Therefore, in the event a relatively weak thread is utilized a plurality thereof must be interwoven in order to provide suitable longitudinal strength for the garment.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved panty hose stocking unit in which use of both leg portions is maximized.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improvement for conventional panty hose constructions whereby a damaged leg may be easily and quickly removed therefrom without ravelling or running.

It is another object of this invention to provide a circumferential band or welt in the mid-thigh region of a panty hose construction which includes in the upper portion thereof means to prevent ravelling when a leg is removed.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a panty hose stocking unit having a circumferential welt or band at the mid-thigh region of each leg which includes therein at least one course of interlocking stitches so that when the fabric therebelow is severed the upper portion will not ravel.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a panty hose stocking unit having a circumferential band or welt located at the mid-thigh region of each leg which includes means integral therewith for disconnecting the leg portion and the upper thigh portion thereof.

It is still another object of this invention to provide an economical panty hose stocking unitlwhich may be worn even though a single leg thereof has been damaged by wearing a pair of said garments having opposite legs removed, which unit includesa circumferential band or welt having abutting but not interwoven courses of stitching loops, and at least one waste thread interconnecting said loops which thread may be easily and quickly removed, if desired, to separate the leg portion from the trunk portion thereof.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a panty hose stocking unit having integral circumferential bands located at the mid-thigh region of each leg which bands include at least one upper and lower spaced course of interlocking picot or lace stitches having abutting courses of loop selvage stitches therebetween, said loops interconnected only by at least one waste thread, said thread adapted to connect the leg to the trunk portion until said thread is removed from said loops.

It is yet a further object of this invention to provide a panty hose stocking unit having an integral circumferential band or welt located at the mid-thigh region thereof which contains abutting but not interwoven circumferential stitching loops interconnected only by a waste thread having a pull-tab thereon whereby when said tab is pulled and said thread is removed the leg portion will be disconnected from said stocking unit so that the undamaged leg and trunk portions thereof may be worn with another unit having the opposite leg removed.

These and other objects will become readily apparent with reference to the drawings and following description wherein:

P16. 1 is a plan view of the panty hose stocking unit of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a panty hose stocking unit of this invention having the right leg removed therefrom;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a panty hose stocking unit of this invention having the left leg removed therefrom;

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing two panty hose stocking units of this invention having opposite legs removed and worn simultaneously; and

F IG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the circumferential mid-thigh connection between the leg and upper thigh portions of the hose of this invention.

With attention to drawings and in particular to FIG. 1, the panty hose 10 of this invention includes left leg portion 12 and right leg portion 14 which portions terminate in foot portions 16 and 18, respectively. The foot portions may have a reinforced toe only, or toe and heel (not shown), if desired, or the hose 10 may be reversible without reinforcing in foot portions 16 and 18.

Leg portions 12 and 14 extend downwardly from an integral trunk portion 20. Trunk portion 20 is supported on the wearer by an upper waist band 22. Waist band 22 may be constructed according to any well known conventional designs, and typically includes a tubular welt portion containing an elastic band (not shown).

Trunk portion 20 may be elastically reinforced for abdominal support, if desired. it is well known to those skilled in the art that a variety of different means may be provided in the trunk portion of conventionally designed panty hose for elastically supporting or reinforcing the trunk of the wearer.

As is also well known in the art panty hose 10 may be ltnitted from stretch yarn so that when worn they conform to the wearer, or the panty hose 10 may be knitted in conventional contours.

it is contemplated within the scope of this invention that hose 10 may be knitted with plain stitches, or with picot or lace stitches to provide a texture or design, as desired. in addition, trunk portion 20 may be an elongated welt extending upwardly from the crotch to the waistband 22.

The improvement of this invention to permit removal of a single leg without ravelling the trunk portion 20 of panty hose 10 is described as follows:

Circumferential bands or welts 24 and 24' are provided at the mid-thigh region of each leg 12 and 14, respectively. Bands 2.4 and 24 include an upper stitch locking means 26 and 26' which may be a seam sewn in the knitted fabric of the parity hose 10, if desired. If separate seams or sewn lines 26 and 26'are provided the stitches must be sufficiently small to catch the knitted loops on the fabric so that a run or ravel in the fabric of the trunk portion will not occur if the fabric below the line 26 or 26' is cut. A separate lower stitch locking means 28 and 28' may also be provided, if desired.

In the preferred embodiment of this invention, howi ever, the lines 26, 26', 28, and 28' are formed by at least one course of locking stitches each woven into the fabric of panty hose 10. The stitches may be as desired a single course of lace or picot stitch or any other conventional non-ravelling lock stitch, or a plurality of courses (not shown).

While bands 24 and 24' may include several interwoven courses of picot or other stitching, centrally located therein, abutting but not interwoven courses of loops and 30 are also provided. FIG. 5 illustrates an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of said loops. Courses of loops 30 and 30 may be a plain stitch, or any of a variety of decorative stitches such as picot or lace stitching loops. However, it must be emphasized, that said loops 30 and 30' are not mutually interconnected. Loops 30 may be selvage from the nonravelling stitching 26 of 26. Similarly, loops 30' may be selvage from a similar non-ravelling lock stitches 28 and 28' which may be provided at the lower edge of bands 24 and 24'.

Loops 30 and 30 are interconnected only by a waste thread 32 which extends circumferentially in an interwoven manner through bands 24 and 24'. Thread 32 preferably extends continuously circumferentially around the band 24 and 24' with either end thereof terminating at a pull-tab 34. Tab 34 may be of metal, or preferably, of plastic or thread, and is utilized to assist the wearer in removing waste thread 32 from either band 24 or 24'.

Accordingly, in the event leg 12, or leg 14 becomes damaged, the wearer merely grasps pull-tab 34 and removes waste thread 32 from loops 30 and 30' in band 24 or 24'. As shown in FIG. 5, when the thread 32 is removed, the loops 30 and 30' will no longer be connected, and accordingly, the leg 12 or 14 may be easily separated from the remaining portion of the garment l0.

For the purposes of illustration, FIGS. 2 and 3 show the panty hose of this invention having the right and left leg, respectively, removed.

When the damaged leg is removed, the wearer then wears a similar unit having an opposite leg removed simultaneouslyas shown in FIG. 4. By placing the bands 24 and 24' at the mid-thigh region, a pair of units of this invention having opposite legs removed may be worn. The empty leg portion will tend to be retained in place at or below the thickest part of the wearers thigh. Accordingly, the hose will not tend to ride up or down.

' In summary, this invention relates to an improvement which maybe adapted to'any well known commercially available type of panty hose garment to provide for ready removal of a damaged leg portion. For example, this invention may be implemented in stretch woven panty hose, or panty hose woven in plain stitching or lace or textured stitching. The invention'specifically comprises a band or welt woven circumferentially in the mid-thigh region of each leg of the garment. The upper portion of the welt is provided with a non '6 ravelling stitch which may be a seam but preferably is a locked stitch woven into the fabric such as a lace or picot stitch. A single course thereof may be utilized, or a plurality of courses may be provided. In addition, the 5 lower edge of the welt may also be provided with a similar non-ravelling edge, if desired.

The band or welt further includes centrally located, abutting courses of loops which are not interwoven and extend circumferentially around the fabric. The loops 0 may be selvage from the lock stitch or non-ravelling lines. The abutting loops are interconnected only byat least one waste thread which extends around the entire circumference of the band 24. A pull-tab on the waste thread may also be provided so that when the wearer damages a leg portion, the pull-tab may be grasped and used to remove the waste thread from the abutting loops whereby the leg portion may be easily and quickly removed.

The wearer may then put on a second panty hose having an opposite leg removed and continue to wear these units until they are worn out. The panty hose of this invention may be marketed, if desired, with a reversible alternate spare wherein a single leg has been removed to replace whichever leg of the panty hose is damaged and removed. v

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the forgoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore to be embraced thereinv What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is: a

1. In a knitted panty hose stocking unit having two leg portions, corresponding foot portions, and a trunk portion integral with said leg portions, the upper extremity of said trunk portion terminating in a supporting waist band, the improvement comprising:

an integral, continuous circumferential band at the mid-thigh region of each of said leg portions, each of said bands including at least one interwoven course of nonravelling lock stitches disposed adjacent the lower extremity of the upper thigh portion of said unit for preventing the ravelling thereof when the leg portion therebelow is separated from said unit;

means carried by said bands for selectively disconnecting the leg portion therebelow from said unit, said means including a pair of abutting but not interwoven continuous circumferential courses of knitted loops and at least one waste thread connecting said loops and extending circumferentially through said band so that when said thread is removed from said band the leg portion of said unit therebelow is disconnected from said unit, said interwoven course of lock stitches preventing ravelling of the remaining upper thigh portion thereof; and a pull tabaffixed to said waste thread.

2. The unit of claim I wherein said lock stitches are picot stitches.

3. The unit of claim 1 wherein said bandincludes a plurality of courses of picot stitches in the upper portion thereof and a plurality of courses of picot stitches spaced therefrom at the lower portion thereof; said 5. The unit of claim 4 wherein a plurality of waste threads are provided interconnecting the loops of said abutting courses, and a single pull-tab is affixed to said threads. 

1. In a knitted panty hose stocking unit having two leg portions, corresponding foot portions, and a trunk portion integral with said leg portions, the upper extremity of said trunk portion terminating in a supporting waist band, the improvement comprising: an integral, continuous circumferential band at the mid-thigh region of each of said leg portions, each of said bands including at least one interwoven course of nonravelling lock stitches disposed adjacent the lower extremity of the upper thigh portion of said unit for preventing the ravelling thereof when the leg portion therebelow is separated from said unit; means carried by said bands for selectively disconnecting the leg portion therebelow from said unit, said means including a pair of abutting but not interwoven continuous circumferential courses of knitted loops and at least one waste thread connecting said loops and extending circumferentially through said band so that when said thread is removed from said band the leg portion of said unit therebelow is disconnected from said unit, said interwoven course of lock stitches preventing ravelling of the remaining upper thigh portion thereof; and a pull tab affixed to said waste thread.
 2. The unit of claim 1 wherein said lock stitches are picot stitches.
 3. The unit of claim 1 wherein said band includes a plurality of courses of picot stitches in the upper portion thereof and a plurality of courses of picot stitches spaced therefrom at the lower portion thereof; said means for disconnecting the leg portion from said unit being disposed therebetween.
 4. The unit of claim 1 wherein said pull-tab is affixed to an end of said thread and disposed at the inner thigh region of said unit.
 5. The unit of claim 4 wherein a plurality of waste threads are provided interconnecting the loops of said abutting courses, and a single pull-tab is affixed to said threads. 